Aviemore Spawning race to be improved.
Graeme Hughes, Fish and Game Officer.

The Aviemore spawning race is the only reliable spawning water for Brown and Rainbow trout of Lake Waitaki. The spawning count in June revealed 235 Brown trout redds  and in September 240 Rainbow trout redds. After almost 40 years of use by brown and rainbow trout (and sockeye salmon prior to 1980) construction of redds by salmonids has caused the unavoidable downstream movement of gravel. As a man made construction it works very well but there is no replacement of gravels as would occur in a natural stream during floods and freshes. In parts of the upper race fish have excavated down to large cobbles of the substrate on which the race was excavated during construction of the Aviemore Dam. Re-gravelling will restore the race to something similar to 1968 conditions  and will help reduce redd superimposition which is prevalent. Meridian Energy Ltd have agreed to fund the regravelling work which may be completed in early 2009 when the free swimming fry have vacated their redds.

Crack willow, Tortured willow, broom, gorse and wilding pines have been cut and sprayed along the race. Naturally occurring Sweet Briar, flaxes and Toi toi are thriving and may need some management in the future if ground counts of spawning fish are to be continued.

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